Quick update…..things have been crazy!   I have some exciting and not so exciting things that have happened and are in the process as we speak, but I will only focus on the good news right now.

At the beginning of the new year I took the time to write out my prayers and visions for myself, my family as a whole, my husband, my son, my daughter and my two businesses.  I needed some clear organization in my prayer life and I wanted to write my vision and make it plain as the Bible states.

I am so excited to announce that one of my visions and prayers for my business is taking place right now.  I closed a deal on a retail brick and mortar store for Sizta 2 Sizta & Ary’s Naturals about 2 weeks ago.  Praise God!  I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get everything in place while trying to make sure the online business does not suffer.

I’m planning my Grand Opening for the weekend of July the 18th (God willing).

For those of you who currently have questions that you have sent me, rest assured they will be answered.  I’m asking that everyone be patient with me as I undergo this new and exciting chapter in book of Stacey (S2S & Ary’s Naturals).

I will keep you posted and let you know when I have my official opening as I will celebrate with my online family and run some great specials for my customers spread far and wide.

Please also pray with me and my family as we have recently had a death by murder in our family that has hit us very hard.

with much love,

Stacey

I just returned from our Sunday services in which our associate Pastor Janine is preaching while our pastor is recovering from Surgery.  Today she taught on growing up in the Lord based on scripture reference Ephesians 4:11-17 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man (mature), to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head Christ from the whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The message was in titled “Raised from the past” and spoke to me specifically as I am sure this topic will speak to many of you as well.    The message in short described how we come to Christ burdened down with guilt, pain, bitterness, unforgiveness, addictions, pride, loneliness, fear, insecurities and so on.   Then we come to the cross and accept Jesus Christ as our savior but in many instances we don’t make him Lord over our lives, our circumstances, our finances or the thing that entangles us.   So here we are, saved but still carrying the same load of crap with us, never growing and coming to the full knowledge or fullness of joy that fellowship with Jesus Christ promises to bring us if we let it.

So how do we grow up in the Lord and move beyond our past or circumstances???  Well, we must take off the many mask we wear to hide our stuff from the world and be true and let our fellow brothers and sisters see us (this is one area I struggle in as I wear my mask I often find myself wondering can’t anyone see me who I really am) but how can they when I constantly put one mask after another on.  Then of course the most important things are to spend time in the Word which helps you see yourself how God sees you and not the world.  The Word also helps to break the chains of bondage and builds you up and helps you to draw close to the Lord.  Another extremely important thing is prayer, not your thank you Lord for waking me up general prayers we often find ourselves praying just to get by, but those on your knees, bowed in humility snot slinging prayers spiritually naked before the Lord prayers.

Then we need to get outside of ourselves with our “it’s all about me” attitude and commit to service. Something amazing happens when you serve the Lord through serving others.  Then our pastor said something so simply profound, she said ” when you are taking care of Gods business, he will automatically take care of yours.”  This struck me to be so true because it’s in those times that I’m serving others and working for the Lord that I find myself the happiest with a calmness that is nothing but the peace of God that takes my eyes off of my own circumstances and allows me to move beyond myself; and before I know it God has already worked out that thing that I thought I was such a large mountain, he moved it right on out of the way.

So, if you are dealing with issues of wanting to grow in the Lord or so worried about your own little world, get busy serving  the Lord so He can move that thing right on out of the way before you even know it.

Question, what mask are you wearing to hide your true self from others?   And, how long are you going to run from the Lord?

It’s always nice to receive positive feedback on products that you yourself love and put a lot of time and energy into developing.  Below is a review of my products from a young lady Krissy in Cali.

Ary’s Naturals is now making Soy Candles, “Candle~Esscents” are 100% soy candles that have amazing scent throw that will fill your home with hours of delightful aroma.  When I first decided that I wanted to give candle making a try I had no idea that there was so much science behind making a good candle.

After months of trying different scents with different waxes and wicks, I have finally come up with the most amazing candles…..

take $2.00 off your purchase of your Candle~Esscents use coupon code: candle

Candle~Esscents

It was not until I became a mother myself did I truly understand the love of a mother and more specifically the love that my mother had for me.  I always knew she loved my brothers but I as a young defiant daughter, I didn’t quite understand how deep her love was for me as well.

My mother like many black women who were abandoned by their husband that vowed to love, honor, cherish and forsake all others found herself a single mother of three practically raising us alone without any financial help and or guidance from the male perspective; she over came many obstacles that lay ahead and persevered.

I will never forget when I found out that I was pregnant with my son Gerald; I prayed (not really knowing the Lord at this time) that I would have a boy.  For months I remember praying and asking that the life that grew in my belly would not be a girl.  I was terrified of having a girl because of the drama I sent my mother through starting in junior high.   My prayers were answer and I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy.

Becoming a mother myself gave me a perspective that only a mother could have of exactly what a mother’s love is.  As my son grew so did my trials and tribulations as I too found myself a single mother, my understanding and respect for my mother followed close behind.  Now as I find myself the mother of two, one in his teenage years;  my love, respect and understanding has evolved and my eyes are wide open.

To my mother would sacrificed so much for her children, who never brought men in and out of the home, who made sure that we had summer activities each year, who saved up her money and made sure that we had a family vacation every year, who never said a bad word about our father and let us make our own choice about our dad, who made sure that we had clothes on our backs, food on the table, who continues to be there for every major event in her children’s lives, my mother who I caused so much pain and distress during my teenage and early adulthood years continues to love and support me and her two sons.  To my mother I give you honor!

I love you mommy!

To all the mothers who sacrificed for the sake of their children and kept it all together in the midst, I give you honor.

God bless moms.

I am so thrilled that after 4 plus years my “Steps 2 Sensational Hair Guide” gets a new cover along with some added tips and how to’s for you and your little girl.

I would love to hear what you think of the new guide cover, so please fee free to comment.

Growing Hair One Inch at A Time

The new guide with all the extras will be available mid to late April, 2009.

Sugar & Salt scrubs are a girls best friend!   With my extremely busy schedule of running a business and raising children and a husband (smile) I often find that I’m always the last on the list.  That’s if I even make it on the list at all.  I have found a luscious but simple pleasure in sugar scrubs filled with wonderful oils that gently exfoilate, soften and moisturize my entire body.

Just recently I decided to take my love of sugar scrubs, chocolate and coffee and put them together in a scrub that I lovingly call the Mocha Chocolatta ~ Scrub Me Down Brown; name after my very own Mocha Chocolatta Aryanna.   This wonderful brown sugar scrub is a delicious combination of brown sugar, pure cocoa butter, sunflower oil and gourmet coffee whipped into a light and fluffly body treat!

If you are looking to pamper yourself and put yourself back on the list, I high recommend you give this sugar scrub a try, it’s surely to become one of your best friends!

Natural Bath & Body products

One great thing about having an internet business is that you meet some incredible women along the way!

Recently I have had the pleasure of meeting two women with passion about making things better for African America women and girls.  Please take time to read their stories and visit their sites and show them some love.

Meet Kim the founder of Afro Puffs and Ponytails

One of the most important things that we can do as mothers is instill our children with good and positive self esteem, especially in our young black boy and girls. When my daughter was born her skin tone was much darker than of myself, my husband and our son’s skin. I remember my son asking “why is she so dark?” I was upset that my son would ask such a question or maybe I was very sensitive to the fact that her beautiful dark brown skin tones would been seen by some as less than or inferior.

So often we as a black race do such a disservice to our young black boys and girls by not instilling in them a love of self, regardless of their skin color or their hair texture. When my daughter was born I felt an absolute duty to make sure that my daughter knew that she was a beautiful, intelligent black princess.

I can’t stand, no I actually hate when I hear other women discussing their hair or their son or daughter’s hair in negative terms such and “nigger hair”, “nappy hair, “kunta kenta hair” or just plain old “bad hair.” Why are we still passing down this slave mentalities to our children???

I would like to encourage you to help stop this negative self hatred that we have of our hair by passing down the healthy hair torch. I believe that if we can re-educate ourselves by learning how to care for our own hair and come to love our hair just the way God made it, then this will trickle down to our daughters.

Every where you turn we are bombarded with images on television or in the movies with women that are of another race with long beautiful hair or our siztas sporting a straight wig or weave on the music videos or CD covers. Then there is the one big thing that really just gets under my skin with how our young black sons and daughters are portrayed in either print or TV. Is it me or do they always pick the boys or girls with so called curly locs or try to make it appear as if they have naturally curly hair??? What? Are pig tails and cornrows out now because “they” think our children are more acceptable if the have naturally curly hair?

So, just like anything else, we must start at home filling our daughters with positive images of African American women. Making sure that we are not using negative terms to describe our hair. Educating ourselves then passing on the knowledge to our daughters so they can then pass it on to their daughters and before we know it we would have written a new llegacy for our duagthers.  How to  love and nurture their own hair, and accept with great honor the hair that God saw fit to give them.  We should also make sure to have reading materials that accurately reflect our little girls hair and skin color. Lastly, lets make sure that we are always speaking words of life to daughters becasue as so truly stated in proverbs 18:21″ life and death are in the power of the tongue.”

I try to make our hair combing routine something special that my daugther looks forward to because she knows that the end result will have her looking like a princess.  I take this time to speak with my duagther and tell her how smart and beautiful she is and what beautiful hair she has.  Already, at the age of 3 she is very aware of the images of Barbie and Hanna Motanna that I was trying my best to keep her from.  So, I try to balance out the playing field every chance I get with books and dolls that reflect her skin color and hair texture along with loving and reassuring words of affirmation worthy of  a chocolate princess my Mocha-Chocolatta.

Do you have a haircare question or concern?  Well, this is the place to get your questions answered.  I receive so many haircare questions on a daily basis and decided that this would be a good place to post questions and answers so that others who may have the same question or concern can also view and comment.

Please post your haircare questions here.  I will do my best to respond quickly as quickly as possibly However, it may take up to a week to post an answer your questions as Sizta 2 Sizta is experiencing major growing pains and trying to keep up with the demand.

thanks,
Stacey Watson
Sizta 2 Sizta Healthy Hair Care Co.